10 August 2009

2 minute read

Oceania

Speaking after this auction Willie Cromie said; “We have calculated that this increase of US $472 per tonne equates to a milk price increase of just under 3.7 ppl. It signals that world dairy commodity markets are improving with signs of a strengthening in both demand and prices and provides more optimism going forward. Last month United Dairy Farmers’ auction increased by 3.8 per cent to 19.54 ppl and we expect that there will be a further increase at their next auction against this background”.

Willie Cromie continued: “In line with the Union’s ‘Roadmap to Recovery’ for the Northern Ireland dairy industry, we are still progressing discussions with other key stakeholders. We have already met with a number of processors and recently, two of our MEPs.

We have now started a series of meetings with the major retailers with the key objective to secure the full premium for liquid milk which alone would deliver an extra £29 million annually for Northern Ireland’s dairy farmers.

Innovative initiatives have been introduced in other EU Member States over recent months by dairy industry groupings including Governments, retailers, processors and producers in recognition of the extent of the crisis which exists within European dairy production. These initiatives have injected more income into primary milk production and, with similar willing participation from the supply chain here, there is no reason why corresponding action should not take place in Northern Ireland”.

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